This is the home of the Dolvin Consulting Blog. Dolvin Consulting is an Information Technology firm providing computer & technology services as well as finance software & ERP systems to companies in the retail, distribution, manufacturing, and related industries in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania.

As Lebersfeld explains, “I have no doubt that the
abilities of this system have made it easier for us to sell our products and
give our salespeople more time to deal with our customers than on technology.
Of course, we still need technology, but it’s now allowing us to be more nimble
and efficient than we had been in the past.”

THOUGHT:

Customer service is key.Provide your team with the tools and resources they need to get their
job done and service your customers.As
a consumer who would not like to get the information they need in a timely
manner.

QUOTE:

That’s partly why Capitol Lighting’s sales have increased
over the past year despite the still-struggling economy. Getting to this point
wasn’t a simple, hit-a-switch-and-you’re-done proposition. Instead, it required
finding the right solution for Capitol Lighting’s foundational-change
philosophy.

THOUGHT:

Increased sales are a result of happy, loyal customers
who respect the efforts you undertake as a business to better serve them.

QUOTE:

Now, with VAI’s S2K ERP suite, the company is looking
ahead. As Lebersfeld explains, “Instead of being bogged down by technology,
we’re now much more able to interact with our customers, which of course
equates to increased sales opportunities—and who doesn’t want that?”

THOUGHT:Looking forward is always better than dwelling on the past which cannot be
changed.Hopefully you have learned from
your experiences and are using them to grow.More, personalized, interaction with customers is always a good
thing.Utilizing technology to achieve
that goal is a smart move.

QUOTE:

Capitol Lighting has since bolstered its Web presence
with a related secondary site, 1-800lightingPRO, which caters to professional
contractors and designers, allowing them to manage multiple customers under one
account, according to Lebersfeld. “They can see their order histories. They can
fill shopping carts. They can communicate with their customers,” he says.

THOUGHT:Serve your customers and help them generate more business and you will do
better.I shop where I get the best
service, not necessarily the lowest price.I know I am valued where I shop.My business means something to them.We all have a need to be valued and I am proud to let others know about
my relationship with my suppliers.

QUOTE:

Before standardizing on VAI’s S2K, the company’s
operations had essentially been split into two, with its New Jersey locations
running legacy RPG code and the Florida locations using an earlier version of
VAI’s software on an IBM Power Systems* server. The disconnect between the two systems created
some problems for Capitol Lighting. Inventory reporting, for example, was often
delayed until overnight batch processing took place.

THOUGHT:Anytime there are separate systems, you are inviting problems.Every time a human is involved you multiply
the opportunity for errors to manifest.

QUOTE:

“We were in a position where we didn’t have real-time
inventory information,” Lebersfeld says. “We would have people checking on
computers, but they couldn’t tell if the information was accurate. They would
have to call locations to confirm the validity of what they were being told.
Because of this disconnect, the merchandise flow wasn’t easily tracked, where
you would start an order and go from there to check on a purchase order and
then verify the order status. Very little of this was linked,” Lebersfeld says.

THOUGHT:How frustrating it must have been to be their customer in the ole’
days.How frustrating it must have been
for the sales people.How frustrating it
must have been for the purchasing department.Real time inventory across all locations is a necessity, not luxury in
today’s world.

QUOTE:

“We needed a system that would allow all of our showrooms
to run point of sale, see each other’s inventory and integrate with our
website. It also had to be reasonably modifiable to allow us to run our
business like we wanted, with the ultimate goal being able to get merchandise
to our customers as quickly as possible from any location,” Lebersfeld recalls.

THOUGHT:

Knowledge is key.The right hand must know what the left hand is doing.If for no other reason than to allow your customers
the comfort of knowing that you have what they want and when they can expect
it.Cross location inventory visibility
is key here.

QUOTE:

The company also wanted a product flow that was tightly
integrated with its general ledger to ensure everything was being properly
accounted for.

THOUGHT:The finance guys need totals to tie into and generate a comfort level using
any system.If a system is fully integrated,
then this is not an additional thought or step.All the information at your fingertips.Faster reporting, less errors, less time
tracking down information that should be available.Good idea.

QUOTE:

“I have no doubt that the abilities of this system have
made it easier for us to sell our products and give our salespeople more time
to deal with our customers than on technology.”—Jason Lebersfeld, vice president
and CTO, Capitol Lighting

THOUGHT:A good system that is a right fit should enable your staff to do what they
already should be doing, just a lot easier and without having to concentrate on
the technology.When we drive to work we
usually do not have to think about the car we are driving, just the
destination.

QUOTE:

As an added bonus, Capitol Lighting gained access to S2K
Analytics as part of VAI’s offering. S2K Analytics is also highly modifiable
and allows company users to easily find the information they need by themselves,
without having to request individualized reports from others within the
company, including IT.

“Even laymen are able to go out and author their own
reports,” Lebersfeld says. “This has given us the ability to dive into our data
from multiple angles. We can start with
a product and get further detailed information, such as sales orders and
purchase orders. We can look at items from an order perspective and see items
on order and in inventory. VAI has done
a great job of meeting our requirements and allowing us to jump from one view
to another with very little effort.”

THOUGHT:

Any time you can enable your staff to gain access to the
information they need to get their jobs done, the better you will operate.Remove the barriers and let you people do
what they know what to do.They will
feel empowered and make your customers happier.A happier customer returns over and over again and is proud to tell
their associates how happy they are working with you.A referral is the best compliment you can
receive.

QUOTE:

Whatever the reason for the company’s growth, Capitol
Lighting is more customer focused than ever before. By unleashing the power of
modifiable and, in some regards, nearly invisible technology, it can now go
about business the way it wants to, without IT being an inhibitor.

THOUGHT:Any and I mean ANY organization that wants to grow must be customer focused.If new software enables your team to do that,
then make the investment.Think about
yourself and who you like doing business with.More than not, it is with an organization that has invested in
themselves in order to invest in your best service.

FINAL THOUGHT:

Customer service has always been and should remain the
top priority for any organization that is interested in growth and the future.At Dolvin
Consulting we pride ourselves in our industry partnerships that bring real world solutions to
your challenges.Contact us today to see
how we can help you achieve your goals for the future.No fancy promises, no hype, just customer
service.